In the second week of January Sri Lanka Government launched a new round of attacks on Press freedom activists and human rights defenders ( HRDs) through on of its main TV channel. In a news feature segment ( Vimasuma) broadcasted as a part of its news bulletin GOSL indirectly threatened those HRDs with death. Showing visuals of press freedom activists who live in exile today it said '' Those who betrayed the motherland for gold and titles even killed in time of kings. Their decedents live on today'' The programme was ended with the prediction that ''They do no good to this country, some day they will also face no good.''
A similar programme was broadcasted by the same channel on 20th January with same allegations and visuals. Watch the news clip with English subtitles here.
Here are the relevant subtitles and names of the HRDs shown in the visuals.
News feature segment broadcasted by State owned Independent Television Network (ITN) on 11the January 2012
Even though we have freed motherland form the terrible Prabhakaran ( visuals of dead body of the Prabhakaran) . the tricks being played by the Tamil Diaspora has not yet stopped. The defence secretary clearly explaining things has said that Sri Lanka is ready to face threats form the Tamil Diaspora.
1.10- When we talk about tricks being played by the Tamil Diaspora living abroad we feel lot of pain because our own who encourage them.
Those who betrayed the motherland for gold and titles even killed in time of kings. Their decedents live on today (1.24 visual Sunanda Deshapriya, Poddala jayantha and Sanath Balasuriya)
We are talking about a group like that. There are so disgusting that our stomachs churn when we here their names (Visual Sunanda Deshapriya, KS and UK) Saying they were for media freedom and independent journalism in Sri Lanka ( visual Manjula Wediwardana)
They were Prabhakaran's lackeys and servants, and did every despicable thing and made money from it.( visual LTTE leaders meeting foreign delegation) they met Prabhakaran's juniors in secret and got what they wanted and forgot their country.
After Pabhakaran death this gang lied that they were under threat. This gang jumped in to foreign countries. From then they didn't do nothing. They did every despicable thing they could on behalf of the Tamil Diaspora.( visual Sunanda Deshapriya, KS and UK) Asking for Sri Lanka not to be given the GSP+ concession. They sent more than 700 petitions (same visual)
Two or three of their henchen still live in Sri Lanka. These henchmen also live off the money from they begged the Tamil Diaspora abroad. They promised to turn Sri Lanka in to a heaven for the media, as the guardians of the media our very own people worshipped them, (Visual Sunanda Deshapriya and UK and KS) But these bastards are still selling the country for their own gain. They do no good to this country. Some day they will also face no good.
The country is ready to face these forces, said Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa very strongly.
(Vimasuma script written by Mahinda Abeysundara, Editor State controlled Sinhala language daily Dinamina)